I have written before that photographing the formals is not my favorite time of the day. The only reason I say that is that they can be pretty mundane: kind of like photographing a lineup. The images are important. The people are usually very polite and if we can find Uncle Phil or Aunt Milly, it does not take a lot of time. We have posed the formals on lawns at the reception venue, at a park near where the wedding is taking place and at the altar after the ceremony.
But our last wedding location was my favorite place to photograph the formals: on a beach in Florida during the golden hours. The golden hours are those hours just before and right up to sunset. The light was beautiful and the surroundings, with the ocean right behind the groups of people we photographed, were gorgeous.
When we photograph outside there are things we need to keep in mind before we even pose the people. First, I wanted the ocean behind them. The bride and groom were married on a beach and they want to see the ocean in their images. Wouldn't you?? We also need to position them with the sun either behind them or even better, coming from the side.
Side lighting is always the best choice for two reasons. First, side lighting helps create texture and shadows. You really want those two things to create a realistic and pleasing look. The other reason is that you don't ever want the sun shining directly on their faces. If you do, you're going to have people squinting, never a great look.
So at this wedding we posed the groups on an angle with the ocean behind them and the setting sun coming from their left. Phyllis stood to my right with one of our Quantum Trio flashes. It was on a pole, had a round diffuser on it and Phyllis held the light about eight feet in the air. The diffuser helps spread the light on an even plane and holding it eight feet in the air and causes any shadows to fall behind them. The light is used just to fill in any shadows that could be caused by someone's shadow falling across another person or even a person's nose causing a shadow across their own face.
When I do my post production on the formals, I always produce one of each image in color and in black and white.
Here are some images from the wedding. I hope you enjoy them.
We are really excited and proud that we are now expanding our choices of wedding albums. Our new Platinum level albums are really a beautiful addition to the albums we offer our clients.
Our standard album (included in all of our packages) is our PhotoPlus Album. It's printed on the highest quality digital press paper. Our Photo-Plus albums are the highest quality lay flat, non warp albums that are available. The Photo-Plus album includes a wraparound cover design, meaning that one of the images from the wedding is used to create the album cover. There are two premium covers that we offer at an additional cost, either a leather or fabric material.
(Below is an example of our Photo-Plus album)
Our new Platinum Series Albums are really amazing. This contemporary album features square-cut corners and silver halide photographic paper with a luster finish. Each photo is lacquer - coated for added protection. The lay-flat pages have been perfected to never warp. The cover is glove leather with a cameo insert. The glove leather is a soft supple leather with a smooth appearance and is afford in fifteen different colors.
When your album is delivered and you open the box, the first thing you see is a passion red colored Jacquard fabric (intricately woven pattern), pillow case and wrap for a truly elegant packaging.
This is a the sage green leather cover with a cameo insert. The bride and grooms name's would appear where JP Brandano Photography is now! The cameo insert is not a window looking into the album but a image hand printed and mounted in the insert.
The album is a full leather bound book.
In this image you can see the page thickness of 1/32".
The pages have no splits which allow for a truly beautiful spread.
As of now, this album is only available as an upgrade ($250) for both the 10x10 or 12x12 size album. We know our brides and grooms are going to absolutely love the new platinum level albums. The upgrade can be purchased right up until your album goes into design mode.
I have been a sucker for a woman on her wedding day for many years. It started about twenty-five years ago when I saw my beautiful bride walking down the aisle towards me. That moment was and remains one of the most poignant moments during the wedding day, for me! It is one of the reasons my photography path traveled from nature to wedding and event photography.
We, who photograph weddings, are really lucky. We see people on one of the happiest days of their lives. I have never seen a sad bride or groom during their wedding day. Okay, maybe during the father and daughter dance, there are some tears but even those are blended with happiness. I have the honor of being the first man to see the bride in her wedding gown on her wedding day!! I get to see the moment her dad sees her in the gown and in some cases, witness the bride and groom see each other in private before the ceremony.
I love our profession, I really do. I also understand the responsibility and professionalism that our vocation requires.
Here are some images of our brides, those beautiful young women, around whom the wedding day revolves.
We always try and photograph the wedding rehearsal.
